|The craters and calderas of Tongariro from the north, with the cone of Ngauruhoe behind and Ruapehu in the distance
(photo by New Zealand Aerial Mapping) <click to enlarge>

Tongariro 6489 ft (1978 m).

Location:

Central part of North Island of New Zealand

Lat / Long:

39.1° S, 175.6° E

Volcanic Type:

Stratovolcano complex with calderas

Volcanic Status:

Active, last eruption 1927

First Ascent:

First Ski Descent:

Skiable Vertical:

about 3000 ft (900 m)

Administration:

Tongariro National Park

The Tongariro volcanic complex is a large massif consisting of about a dozen stratovolcanic cones and
craters, located in the northern part of Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's oldest national park.
Prominent features include North Crater (a 1 km wide flat-topped crater with a smaller crater inset in
its western end, at right in the photo above), Blue Lake Crater, Red Crater, Central Crater, and South
Crater (which has the summit of Tongariro on its northern rim). A ski traverse can easily be made
across the massif to see many of these intriguing landforms, and this trip is often combined with a ski
descent of Ngauruhoe at the southern end of the complex.